When Itai Oshri left home at the age of 16, he had his heart set on becoming a professional cyclist, until he fell in love with the Belgian M&A industry.
Known for producing some of the sport’s greatest legends (including Eddy Merckx, Rik van Looy, and Roger De Vlaeminck), Itai went to Belgium to try to fast-track his goals. “The idea was to stay for a year…”, he reminisces, wanting to experience the cobblestones of the Flemish Ardennes that made Johan Museeuw famous. “After a couple of years – at the age of 20 –, however, I realised there wasn’t really a future for me in cycling, so I started studying international business management.”
Itai completed his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in June this year (2026), which he says is when he really discovered his passion for corporate finance and M&A, specifically over the past two years. “I liked the discipline, the try for excellence and the strive for perfection in finance. It’s the same mindset you need as a professional cyclist”, he explains, adding that while he enjoyed the numbers and analysis, it also gave him a lot of insight into the softer side of business. “Whether you’re an advisor, seller or buyer – in the end – earning people’s trust is important.”
Not to mention, as someone who is highly competitive, Itai believes he can keep pace with Belgium’s growing M&A environment. In 2024, he took a student job as an M&A Deal Analyst at M&A Community Belgium, where he gained firsthand insights into some of the country’s top transactions and industry trends.
“For one, people are quick to bundle the Belgian M&A market into one, but I’ve noticed that it has a two-speed market”, Itai shares. “On the one hand, you have the small and family-owned companies that are slowly growing, and on the other hand, you have companies that go into private equity to scale quickly.”
He explains that family businesses and SMEs still account for a much larger share of this market, especially compared with other European markets. This, combined with the demographic trend of ageing populations, means there is a lot more activity in this market segment.
Itai has also seen a rise in new AI (artificial intelligence) and cybersecurity startups in the Belgian M&A market, attracting significant investment and funding interest.
When he isn’t analysing data, Itai tries to network as often as possible. “Whenever the M&A Community hosts an event, I try to talk to as many people as I can, because there is a lot to learn from their experience.”
Dealing with imposter syndrome
Despite usually being the youngest person in the room, Itai says his willingness to learn and respect for their wisdom have earned him a warm welcome among M&A peers. In December, he participated in an M&A competition organised by one of the big investment banks in Brussels, where 20 students were divided into teams of four and went through the whole deal process in one day. “It taught me that the quality of a financial model depends heavily on the assumptions you build into it, which was very interesting, because you don’t learn so much about the negotiation and preparation part when working with the database; it mostly focuses on the closing.”
Itai also started an audit internship in February this year, which he has come to understand is a strong foundation for future M&A and transaction services roles. When he received an offer to join the company full-time following his internship, this also became the reason he chose to return. “I had some other offers on the table – some in finance, some in advisory – but sat down and asked myself what I want to achieve within the next few years, then decided that this one would, ultimately, bring me closer to financial due diligence and M&A directly. ”
Not to mention, he really enjoys the culture at VGD. “I felt really good there and could learn a lot because they are a mid-market company, where you get exposed to a lot more responsibilities in your role,” he cites as the reason why he also turned down some of the Big Four’s offers.
Now 23 years old, Itai plans to combine his full-time work as a junior auditor with an Advanced Master's in Financial Markets at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management, to which he has already been accepted. “I am still young, and I don’t have any children, so now is the time to invest in my career and build a solid foundation to grow from.”
Learning to stay ahead
This pursuit of knowledge and experience is the most important thing for any young professional trying to make it in M&A, Itai emphasises. Of course, this includes going to school and getting an education, but he also urges young people to go the extra mile from the beginning: “Take additional courses and try to pick up some new skills.”
He encourages learning the soft skills, too: “It’s essential to know how to work with people, because selling a business can be very emotional. You must have the skills and empathy to talk with people who aren't finance professionals and have spent their whole life building something.”
And in an increasingly digital, AI-dominated world, he stresses the importance of critical thinking.
“You must be able to interpret and follow the data. It makes people smarter in the sense that it helps you make better decisions, because you know what you are stepping into”, Itai concludes.
Photos: The cycling photo is by "Bram Van Lent" and the other one by "LV Photography"
